Simple Ground Turkey and Veggie Stir Fry

Here is my favorite ground turkey and veggie stir fry recipe, with a sweet and savory sauce made from soy sauce, brown sugar, and ginger, plus colorful vegetables and lean ground turkey served over jasmine rice.

This stir fry has become my go-to weeknight dinner when I need something quick and healthy on the table. It takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, and my kids actually eat their vegetables without complaining. Win-win, right?

What Kind of Ground Turkey Should I Use?

For this stir fry, you’ll want to grab either 93/7 or 85/15 ground turkey, which refers to the lean-to-fat ratio. The 93/7 is leaner and works great if you’re watching calories, while the 85/15 has a bit more fat which means more flavor and moisture in your stir fry. I usually go with the 93/7 since the sauce and veggies add plenty of flavor, but either option will turn out delicious. Just avoid the 99% fat-free ground turkey breast – it tends to be too dry and can get a bit rubbery when you cook it at high heat.

Options for Substitutions

This stir fry is super adaptable, so feel free to work with what you have in your kitchen:

• Ground turkey: Ground chicken, pork, or beef all work great here. You can even use crumbled firm tofu or tempeh for a vegetarian version – just press the tofu first to remove excess moisture.
• Vegetables: The veggie mix is totally flexible. Swap in broccoli florets, snap peas, mushrooms, cabbage, or whatever needs to be used up in your fridge. Just keep the total amount roughly the same and cut everything into similar-sized pieces for even cooking.
• Soy sauce: Tamari works as a gluten-free option, or use coconut aminos for a soy-free alternative. Keep in mind coconut aminos are slightly sweeter, so you might want to reduce the brown sugar by a teaspoon.
• Rice vinegar: Apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar can step in if you’re out of rice vinegar. Start with a bit less since they can be more acidic.
• Jasmine rice: White rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, or even noodles make good bases for this stir fry. If using brown rice, remember it takes longer to cook.
• Sriracha: Any hot sauce you like works here, or skip it entirely if you prefer less heat. You can always pass hot sauce at the table for people to add their own.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake with ground turkey stir fry is overcooking the meat, which turns it dry and crumbly – cook it just until it’s no longer pink, then remove it from the pan so it doesn’t continue cooking while you prep the veggies.

Another common error is adding all your vegetables at once, but since carrots take longer to cook than zucchini and bell peppers, start with the carrots first and add the softer veggies a minute or two later.

Make sure to mix your cornstarch slurry right before adding it to the pan, as cornstarch settles quickly at the bottom of the bowl, and always bring the sauce to a simmer after adding it – this activates the cornstarch and gives you that glossy, thick coating instead of a watery mess.

Finally, don’t crowd your pan with too much turkey at once, as this creates steam instead of browning, so if needed, cook the meat in two batches for better texture.

What to Serve With Ground Turkey and Veggie Stir Fry?

This stir fry is pretty much a complete meal on its own when served over fluffy jasmine rice, which soaks up all that tasty sauce. If you want to bulk things up a bit more, try adding some crispy egg rolls or pot stickers on the side – they’re perfect for dipping in extra soy sauce or sriracha. A simple cucumber salad with rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar makes a nice cooling contrast to the spicy kick of the stir fry. You could also serve it with some steamed edamame sprinkled with sea salt for an easy, protein-packed side that keeps the Asian-inspired theme going.

Storage Instructions

Store: This stir fry keeps really well in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. I like to store the rice separately from the turkey and veggies so nothing gets mushy. It’s one of those meals that actually tastes great cold straight from the fridge if you’re in a hurry!

Freeze: You can freeze the turkey and veggie mixture (without the rice) for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers. Just make sure it’s cooled down completely first. I usually portion it out into individual servings so I can grab just what I need for a quick lunch.

Reheat: Warm it up in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water or soy sauce to keep it from drying out. You can also microwave it for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through. If you froze it, let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating for the best results.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1300-1500
• Protein: 65-75 g
• Fat: 45-55 g
• Carbohydrates: 170-220 g

Ingredients

For the sauce:

• 1/3 cup soy sauce (I use Kikkoman Less Sodium for better salt control)
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp ginger (freshly grated for a more vibrant, spicy kick)
• 2 tsp sriracha
• 2 tsp cornstarch

For the stir fry:

• 4 tsp cooking oil
• 1 lb ground turkey (I prefer Jennie-O 93% lean for the best moisture balance)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 zucchini (sliced into 1/4-inch thick half-moons)
• 1 carrot (julienned into thin 2-inch matchsticks)
• 1 bell pepper (seeded and cut into 1/2-inch wide strips)
• 4 green onion
• jasmine rice
• hot sauce

Step 1: Prepare Mise en Place and Make the Sauce

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp ginger
• 2 tsp sriracha
• 1 zucchini
• 1 carrot
• 1 bell pepper
• 4 green onion

Slice the zucchini into 1/4-inch thick half-moons, julienne the carrot into thin 2-inch matchsticks, seed the bell pepper and cut into 1/2-inch wide strips, and chop the green onions—set all vegetables aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, freshly grated ginger, and sriracha until the sugar dissolves completely.

This sauce can be made ahead, which I find helpful for keeping the stir-fry moving quickly once you start cooking.

Step 2: Brown the Ground Turkey

• 2 tsp cooking oil
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Heat 2 teaspoons of cooking oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering.

Add the ground turkey and garlic powder, breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks.

Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the turkey is completely cooked through and lightly browned.

I prefer 93% lean ground turkey because it renders just enough fat for flavor while staying moist—any leaner and it can dry out.

Step 3: Transfer Turkey and Cook the Vegetables

• 2 tsp cooking oil
• 1 zucchini
• 1 carrot
• 1 bell pepper
• cooked ground turkey from Step 2

Transfer the cooked turkey to a clean plate using a slotted spoon, leaving as much fat in the pan as possible.

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of cooking oil to the pan and increase the heat to medium-high.

Add all the prepared vegetables (zucchini, carrot, and bell pepper) and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they’re tender-crisp with just a slight char.

The vegetables should still have some bite to them—this is what makes stir-fry texture appealing.

Step 4: Build and Thicken the Sauce

• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp water
• sauce mixture from Step 1
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• cooked turkey and vegetables from Steps 2 and 3

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water until smooth and no lumps remain.

Return the cooked turkey to the skillet with the vegetables, then reduce the heat to medium.

Pour in the sauce mixture from Step 1, add the black pepper, and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes until everything is well coated.

Pour in the cornstarch slurry while stirring continuously, and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.

Step 5: Plate and Serve

• jasmine rice
• ground turkey and veggie stir-fry from Step 4
• 4 green onion
• hot sauce

Divide the jasmine rice among serving bowls and top with the ground turkey and vegetable stir-fry.

Garnish each bowl with the chopped green onions and drizzle with hot sauce if desired.

Serve immediately while the stir-fry is still hot and the sauce is clinging to every piece.

Simple Ground Turkey and Veggie Stir Fry

Delicious Simple Ground Turkey and Veggie Stir Fry recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Calories 1400 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the sauce::

• 1/3 cup soy sauce (I use Kikkoman Less Sodium for better salt control)
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp ginger (freshly grated for a more vibrant, spicy kick)
• 2 tsp sriracha
• 2 tsp cornstarch

For the stir fry::

• 4 tsp cooking oil
• 1 lb ground turkey (I prefer Jennie-O 93% lean for the best moisture balance)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 zucchini (sliced into 1/4-inch thick half-moons)
• 1 carrot (julienned into thin 2-inch matchsticks)
• 1 bell pepper (seeded and cut into 1/2-inch wide strips)
• 4 green onion
• jasmine rice
• hot sauce

Instructions

 

• Slice the zucchini into 1/4-inch thick half-moons, julienne the carrot into thin 2-inch matchsticks, seed the bell pepper and cut into 1/2-inch wide strips, and chop the green onions—set all vegetables aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, freshly grated ginger, and sriracha until the sugar dissolves completely. This sauce can be made ahead, which I find helpful for keeping the stir-fry moving quickly once you start cooking.
• Heat 2 teaspoons of cooking oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the ground turkey and garlic powder, breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the turkey is completely cooked through and lightly browned. I prefer 93% lean ground turkey because it renders just enough fat for flavor while staying moist—any leaner and it can dry out.
• Transfer the cooked turkey to a clean plate using a slotted spoon, leaving as much fat in the pan as possible. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of cooking oil to the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Add all the prepared vegetables (zucchini, carrot, and bell pepper) and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they're tender-crisp with just a slight char. The vegetables should still have some bite to them—this is what makes stir-fry texture appealing.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water until smooth and no lumps remain. Return the cooked turkey to the skillet with the vegetables, then reduce the heat to medium. Pour in the sauce mixture from Step 1, add the black pepper, and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes until everything is well coated. Pour in the cornstarch slurry while stirring continuously, and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
• Divide the jasmine rice among serving bowls and top with the ground turkey and vegetable stir-fry. Garnish each bowl with the chopped green onions and drizzle with hot sauce if desired. Serve immediately while the stir-fry is still hot and the sauce is clinging to every piece.